Both men and women had very similar schedules of events. Men competed in 24 events and women in 23, as their schedule lacked the 50 km race walk. In addition, both the men's 110 m hurdles and decathlon are reflected in the women's schedule by the 100 m hurdles and heptathlon, respectively.

The Olympic record was broken in 17 returning events. In five events, including the inaugural women's 3000 m steeplechase, the world record was broken.

The athletics was, alongside the Olympic cycling events, one of the few large sports programmes in which the host nation fared comparatively poorly in terms of medals won. Despite a haul of 100 medals at the games as a whole, Chinese athletes took home two bronze medals from the athletics events. The country's foremost athlete Liu Xiang, the 2004 Olympic champion in the 110 metres hurdles, had to withdraw after a false start due to injury.

In the years following the events, results were significantly affected by doping findings; 19 of the 47 events have had amendments to their medal rankings as a result of testing and retesting of samples taken at or before the Games. Multiple medalists have been sanctioned for doping violations. Russia has had the most medals stripped (9).

1500 metres The original gold medalist, Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain, was stripped of his gold medal for having committed anti-doping violations.[2] The rest of the competitors were elevated by one position accordingly.

4 × 100 metres relay Jamaican team originally won gold medals but was disqualified due to anti-doping rules violation by Nesta Carter. The CAS decided in 2018 that Trinidad and Tobago is the winner, the silver medal was reallocated to Japan, bronze to Brazil.[3][4]

pole vault The original bronze medalist, Denys Yurchenko of Ukraine, was stripped of his bronze medal for positive test for the prohibited substance.[7] On 17 April 2017, Derek Miles received the bronze medal.[8]

shot put The original bronze medalist, Andrei Mikhnevich of Belarus, was stripped of his bronze medal after being given a lifetime ban in 2013 for doping offences. Dylan Armstrong of Canada has received the bronze.[9]

5000 metres Original silver medalist Elvan Abeylegesse, Turkey, disqualified, and stripped of and ordered to return silver medal following a positive test for a banned substance at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics.[11] Meseret Defar of Ethiopia was advanced to silver, and Sylvia Kibet of Kenya to bronze.

3000 metres steeplechase Original bronze medalist Yekaterina Volkova, Russia, disqualified, and stripped of and ordered to return bronze medal following retesting of her original in-competition sample returned a positive test for the presence of banned substances.[13] Following medals reallocation Tatyana Petrova-Arkhipova of Russia received the bronze medal.

long jump Original silver medalist Tatyana Lebedeva, Russia, disqualified, and stripped of and ordered to return silver medal following retesting of her original in-competition sample returned a positive test for the presence of the banned substances.[3]Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria was advanced to silver, Chelsea Hammond of Jamaica to bronze.

shot put Original silver medalist Natallia Mikhnevich, Belarus, disqualified, and stripped of and ordered to return silver medal following retesting of her original in-competition sample returned a positive test for the presence of the banned substances methandienone and stanozolol.[17] Original bronze medalist Nadzeya Ostapchuk, Belarus, disqualified, and stripped of and ordered to return bronze medal following retesting of her original in-competition sample returned a positive test.[19] Following medals reallocation Misleydis González of China is promoted to silver and Gong Lijiao of China to bronze.

discus throw Retests of samples from the 2008 Summer Olympics detected a positive sample from original silver medalist Yarelys Barrios, Cuba, for performance-enhancing drugs, and she was stripped of her medal on 1 September 2016.[20] After medal reallocation Olena Antonova received silver and Song Aimin received bronze.[21]

hammer throw Original gold medalist Aksana Miankova, Belarus, disqualified, and stripped of and ordered to return gold medal following retesting of her original in-competition sample returned a positive test for the presence of the banned substances turinabol and oxandrolone.[17] Following medals reallocation Yipsi Moreno of Cuba is promoted to gold, Zhang Wenxiu of China to silver and Manuela Montebrun of France to bronze.